Hybrid Academy
by PBComplexion
Summary: Beings discriminated and scorned against by Humanity. What choice did they have but to run to their Haven far from their reach? To survive, they trained to blend in but one group of students decided to take it further. They did not want to survive like this. They yearned for freedom. To live life their way even if it means going against the world.
1. Prologue

**Chapter 0 - Prologue**

In this world where Humans and Pokemon live hand in hand, they are blessed with many years of peace. Pokemon battles, contests and the like have been taken up as forms of competitive sports for both fun and glory. To defeat the Elite Four and become the Champion or to be the best in their field was a dream sought by many. This was common knowledge. However with two sides to a coin, what we knew was only the glorified and bright surface this world.

On the under side, there are special individuals who have existed since ancient times. They were constantly shunned by society. They are Human, yet they aren't. They are also Pokemon, although not entirely. Change is feared while oddities are despised. In face of something or in this case, someone they don't understand, society took the easy way out and labeled them as Monsters. In the general public's eyes, the term 'Monster' was adequate for some could breathe fire and some could fly. They were an abnormality that no one ever tried to understand. There was little these 'Monsters' could do as well.

Generations have continued living in fear. Each year they prayed for peace. No matter how small or flimsy their hopes were, they desperately clung onto them. Their hopes, faith and sanity…they didn't want to lose any of them. However, these were wishful thinking. Every year their prayers, hopes and faith have been continuously betrayed and trampled on. Their fates were sealed the moment they were exposed - families and friends shunned them. Failing to look past what they were, they were either chased out of the village they were born in or captured to be disposed of. Neither the young nor the old were shown any mercy. Those who retaliated were dealt with. It was an endless cycle of fear.

The reason why you've never heard any of this, is because of the media and the government. They spent a lot of effort and resources into containing these vile cases. In this growing age of peace, it was an attempt to prevent society from falling into chaos or from fear while they dealt with the Monsters. News of them eventually stopped reaching the ears of the public and over the flow of time, they had chosen to forget. These Monsters became nothing more than just a simple rumor or a bedtime tale to scare little kids.

Little did they know, they still lurked in the shadows.

On a large island hidden in a cloak of thick mist far from the shores of any region, these Monsters were gathered and given a second chance at life. This haven where they could live together in peace and away from Humanity's judgmental and condescending eyes, is called Kastyr. Compared to Humans, Pokemon have always been more welcoming towards them. They learnt to live together with the Pokemon there and eventually, towns were built. Their funds and resources were gained from the efforts of the adults who mastered how to blend into Human society. With time, they managed to gain a high rank in their field and it helped with Kastyr's needs. This was all thanks to their savior, Julius. He often traveled around world to search for and help any Hybrid he came across. He is also the principal and founder of the sole pearl cream academic structure that stood out like a sore thumb at the center of the shrouded island. To the outside world it was a prestigious, private school known as Lumen Academy for Gifted Stars or 'LAGS' where prodigies are scouted to attend. LAGS in actuality, was a special school for Humanity's detested Monsters - Rejected beings who are both Human and Pokemon, yet not at the same time.

That's right. These monsters are in fact, Hybrids.

Welcome to Hybrid Academy.

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 **I'M BACK FROM HIBERNATION...maybe. I've had this story developing in my head for months - years so I finally decided to try to stop procrastinating and throw it out. To think I've already fantasied across multiple arcs... Hopefully this will push me to get all my plot bunnies out and done with. That being said, there will be no planned update schedule. All I can assure you of, is the overarching plot of this lengthy story. Follow and review to find out more. :3**

 **Although Red, Steven and Volkner are tagged, they will not being appearing any time soon.**


	2. Introductions

**I was drowning in Chinese LNs so this took longer then intended. Sorry about that. :P Thanks for the favs and follow! I'm glad that the prologue was able to interest some of you. The first few chapters would be slow and will focus more on detailing their environment and situation before anything starts to occur. I'll try to make things interesting so please bear with me!**

 **Edit 1: Noticed some mistakes and I made some changes to correct any inconsistencies with Chapter 3.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 1 – Introductions**

Lumen Academy for Gifted Stars or LAGS for short, is a renown Academy known for producing talented and successful students in a vast range of fields. From business to breeding, they dabbled in many areas. Although education was not necessary in the Pokemon world, applications constantly flowed in without end. It's many achievements gained recognition and prestige from all around the world as the forefront of the education industry. Graduates were often gazed with envy, competitiveness or respect. How ironic it must be for them since Humans could never enroll. Age didn't matter for enrollment or graduation. From the moment they entered the Academy, they started together in their First Year. From then till graduation, they were taught knowledge and combat to protect themselves. Only when the Teachers and Principal deemed their education complete, were they allowed to graduate.

In other words, some graduated within a couple of years while others took several years. It all depended on the individual in question. Hybrids of all ages studied, fought and laughed together. Here, we start their story at the rocky base of a dormant volcano where the Fire Dorm lie.

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My hand reflexively shot up and something soft landed on it. I cracked my eye open at the thrown pillow then to the culprit who had a smirk on her full lips.

"'Rena, it's your turn kit." My fox ears twitched at the familiar deep, alluring voice. Sitting up with a groan, I gave my roommate a sleepy grunt. Glancing at the clock, it's 6:50am as usual and the sun had yet to rise. After rubbing the sleep out of my eyes with a yawn, I began my daily morning stretches. Sitting on the floor I made sure to bend my body to its limits. The room was neatly split into two areas - my roommate's and mine. We didn't have a lot of decorations so it was a simple room. Each side had standard furnishings like a bed, a wardrobe, a study table and etc. The rooms in the every Dorm have beige walls and dark wooden tiling. I wrapped up my stretches when sunlight started shining through the window. With a quick flip, I was on my feet and entered the shower with my necessities. Passing by the mirror above the sink, flame-orange almond shaped eyes stared back as I tied my layered, straight hip length blonde hair into a bun. The ends of my blonde hair faded to white and my slanted right bangs reached just above my eyes. Pale, smooth skin covered my body and I have an oval face with a pair of cupid bow lip. A pair of large, blonde triangular ears peaked up with flame-orange tuffs fluffing out and my bushy tail swayed behind me. Standing at 145cm, I am considered short but I prefer the word petite. It was a more flattering term. Comfortable hot water ran down my body and steam filled the bathroom as my mind wandered. Thinking about it, today marked two months since I started my First Year at the Academy. I have been on Kastyr since I was 7. I'll be turning 12 this year so that would be 5 years ago. Time sure flew by fast. Before I enrolled into the Academy, I spent years training to control my powers and conditioning myself. Various teachers had to make sure we wouldn't lose control of our powers before we were allowed to start the Academy. 5 years may seem like a long time but this was normal for us. Everyone that first arrived suffered from some form of trauma or nightmare. They would spend the first couple of years helping us overcome our insecurities to a passable degree before opening us back to interactions once again. A common issue amongst us was the fear and distrust towards strangers. Because of the strong discrimination between Humans and Hybrids, this was to be expected. I ended my shower and donned my uniform.

Our uniforms were standardized in a pure white theme with golden trimmings. For the girls, it was a collared short-sleeved button up blouse with a collared V-necked blazer over it, a short plaited skirt and a pair of white casual sneakers. There were golden trimmings elegantly decorating the white articles and around the neck was a thick, golden ribbon tied beneath the blouse's collar. Even our bags were white with golden trimmings. They had detachable straps that could make it a sling bag or a simple hand carried bag. Other accessories like socks and hair accessories were up to us so long as it followed the uniform's theme. My attire had a pair of white loose socks to complete my look.

Exiting the bathroom, my roommate was at her dresser fixing herself up. Her name is Vivian but her close friends call her Vi. In return, she calls her close friends 'kit'. It was an endearing term. Her thick, Platinum Blonde hair fell in elegant, soft waves to her mid back. Her long fringe was loosely pinned towards her left, allowing full view of her sharp, enchanting bright Scarlet orbs. Her sharp features along with her rosy-pale skin and full lips enhanced her heart shaped face. She carried the air of an alluring, mature beauty and was easily one of the prettiest girls in School even without taking into account her curvaceous body. I should say as expected of a Ninetails Hybrid. Her pointed ears and nine long, lustrous tails showed her species. I was jealous at how well she could maintain her fur. Once, I had the opportunity to brush her tails and I immediately begged her to teach me her ways. Ever since then, my fur was tantalizingly soft and I became addicted to the sensation. I didn't really care about being in the limelight but I valued my fur and hair above all else. That aside, she added on a pair of knee length white socks to her uniform. After doing a quick comb through my soft, silky wet hair, I applied some moisturizer before grabbing my sling bag. My lips lifted to a grin, exposing my sharp canines as I called out to my roommate in a teasing tone.

"Are you ready or do you need more time?" She turned to me with a small playful huff before quickly grabbing her bag. She lightly flicked her long hair as she passed me.

"Grooming takes time kit. You shouldn't rush it." I gave her an amused smile and locked the door. I didn't take much time grooming myself but luckily for me, my wet hair was easy to manage when it dried. Vi is a natural beauty so majority of the girls aside from us would spend way longer with their looks if they cared enough. Exiting the Fire Dorm's red building after a quick breakfast, the base of a mountainous terrain could be seen. The mountains covered across the Northern region of the island. These mountains housed the dorms to the Flying, Dragon, Rock, Ground and Fire Types. Our Dorm was located at the Northeast where a dormant volcano lay silent. Since the terrain was hot, rarely any other Types would journey to the Fire Dorms. The only exception would be during winter. Between the Dorm and the Academy was a dense and vast forest a fair distance away. Since there was no clear path to the Academy at the center, we will have to hike down the mountain and through the forest. I remember the teachers mentioning Kastyr was easily bigger than majority of the islands in the Alola Region combined. The only reason why an island this size would remain untainted by Human hands would be the ring of thick, impenetrable fog that covers the entire horizon. I remember the teachers saying that unless they knew how to properly navigate through the fog, intruders would succumb to the dangers within it. They didn't go into detail but poor vision or possibly protruding jagged rocks from the seabed were safe guesses in my opinion. Regardless, the assurance of security was nice to have. On a daily basis, I'm sure commuting between the Dorms and the Academy on foot would be considered far and tough by Human standards but for us, it was perfect for a light morning warm up. Although it would take us less than thirty minutes when casually sprinting, Humans would easily need maybe an hour or more to travel the same distance. With such a difference in ability, it's hard to stomach how high and mighty those Humans treated us. Just thinking about it makes me sick. Well whatever. I pushed those thoughts aside as we set off in a casual sprint.

Through the forest, we whizzed past the multitude of trees and over protruding roots without slowing down. Each time our feet landed, it would only be a mere moment like a fleeting touch. The sounds of our movements were reduced from our vigorous combat training. It was only the minor disturbance of the undergrowth and detritus on the forest floor that would show we had passed through. However, it wasn't that noticeable unless you were actually searching for it. Compared to mine, Vi's trail was a lot subtler. Be it leaving footprints, silent movements, disturbances or etc., her skills were undoubtedly higher. The difference in experience was jarring. However, I was confident that I would reach her level in due time. The tranquility of the forest and the subtle rustles of life were something that I love. This sense of vastness and serenity never fails to soothe me. Our surroundings passed by in a blur and before long, I could sense other Hybrids making their way through the forest as well. Vi who's been in pace beside me spoke up.

"How's school so far kit?"

"Maintaining my grades is proving to be challenge but nothing unmanageable. If anything, I'm anticipating the upcoming field test." She nods in understanding.

"Mr. Carlson is heading your Combat class, isn't he? That would be something to look forward to." That's very true. Mr. Carlson is one of the teachers overseeing our Combat classes at the Academy. He has a strict demeanor but his classes are enjoyable. He implements a different twist in every class so it constantly keeps us on our toes. Our first several classes focused on our foundation and control before moving onto combat and stealth. Last class, we had to learn how to fight out of our element. Essentially, melee fighters had to fight in a scenario where they couldn't get close to their opponents while rangers had to fight in a scenario where they couldn't disengage from theirs. Normally this would be hard to achieve. That's why he placed rules and limitations on us. It became enjoyable once you manage to get the hang of it. Suddenly, a distant 'ping' in my mind caught my attention.

"Let's take a left." Vi followed my words without hesitation and we made a sharp turn but her eyes trailed at the direction we were originally headed. Her ears twitched a few times before she grinned.

"Sounds like a fight about 5 minutes away. Not bad kit, your Psychic abilities are improving." I gave a casual shrug.

"Psychic abilities intrigue me. The possibilities with them are endless." Just imagining all the stunts and tricks I could pull was making me giddy with excitement. 5 minutes may sound close by but at our speed, it was a fair distance away. Such a detour was common because Kastyr is home to a multitude of wild Pokemon. Thus as neighbors, we respect each other's space and affairs. Vi and I spent the rest of the run making small talk about whatever came to mind. The whole journey took us roughly a couple of minutes longer but we gradually returned on path towards the Academy. Exiting the dense forest, we arrived at a vast plain and the large cream walls of the Academy came into view. The Academy is huge with all the facilities it contains, making it resemble a fairytale's palace in scale. It was partially because certain facilities required an ample amount of space. We slowed down into a walk as we approached the building and various Hybrids could be seen into the distance. The interior of the Academy looked as regal as its exterior - pristine white, marble floors with cream walls lined the halls with large windows. Vi and I split up when we reached the stairs. Since Vi was a second year student, her classroom was on the second floor while mine was on the first. Upon entering my classroom, I spotted two of my friends already chatting at the back. One was a navy haired boy and the other was a boy with pale green hair. The classroom was structured to resemble a lecture hall with the seats arranged in a gradual inclination towards the back. This was so every student would have a clear view of the teacher's podium and whiteboard at the front. The wall and flooring throughout the entire Academy was the same as the hallways and our desks were made of brown, varnished wood. I walked up the stairs and took my spot in front of them.

"Good morning guys."

"Morning."

"Yo!"

The navy haired boy gave a curt response while the other greeted back energetically. The attire theme for males were general a simple long sleeved dress shirt under a white, a long sleeved v-collared blazer, a pair of white long pants and white casual sneakers. They have a golden tie too. Like with the female uniform, the males' uniform had golden accents as well. Jake, the navy haired boy, was dressed neatly. He has straight, chin length navy blue hair and his fringe reached his sharp, steely light grey almond eyes. He wasn't a teen yet so he still had a childlike countenance to his features. Even so, he had a regal and detached aura that belongs to Empoleons, his Hybrid species. On the other hand Kernel had short windswept pale green hair and a pair of red eyes. He was dressed was more loosely with his blazer unbuttoned, shirt untucked and his tie was slightly pulled down. It may sound messy but it gave him a carefree charm, which suited his personality. He was a year older than us and always seems to have a grin on his face. With such an image, it was hard to believe he was a Flygon Hybrid. Dragon Types were known to have a dominating presence while he was the total opposite.

As I was preparing my studying materials, clamor sounded from the front entrance. Kernel snickered while I smiled wryly at the all too familiar occurrence. To think it's already been one month and they still haven't adjusted. With a simple flick of my hand, a small white figure appeared beside me. After he appeared beside me, a chorus of dispirited sighs echoed from the crowd of girls in front. They briefly glanced back at us before dispersing. I let out a mental sigh of relief. Their target of affection may still be in the same classroom but at least they know better than to go too far with their fawning. The young boy thanked me with a sheepish expression that I brushed off with a smile. He is the last one in my close circle of friends and the culprit of the earlier commotion. Not that I could blame them. The boy, Rufus, is a Pachirisu Hybrid. His layered fluffy white hair had pale blue streaks and his fringe reached slightly past his eyebrow, full showing his round, dark brown eyes. Two small triangular ears with pale blue tips poked up from his hair and he has a thick white squirrel tail with a pale blue stipe and three pale blue points sticking out. Combined with his small stature and fluffy, angel-like appearance, it made him irresistibly adorable. A teleportation rescue was needed pretty often. The motion wasn't necessary but with my current proficiency, it helps with directing my psychic powers. Similar to pointing your arm in the direction you want to launch an attack at. It works like a mental guide. Looking at the clock, there was still a brief time before class started so I took out my Chemistry textbook. Almost immediately, a bored voice droned from the green head behind.

"Hehhh…you're studying as well?" I glanced back at Jake and sure enough, he was flipping through his textbook as well. Noticing my gaze, he briefly made eye contact before resuming his studying.

"It helps pass time." I nodded.

"Indeed it does." Kernel pouted at our exchange.

"Boring…"

"Maybe if you studied more seriously, you'd be getting better grades." Kernel clenched his chest as if he's taken a serious hit from Jake's blunt retort.

"Harsh! Studying is a pain, right little guy?" Rufus gave a sheepish smile while he fiddled with the hem of his shirt. It was no secret that Rufus' grades were borderline at best. Even at a glance, it wasn't anything unexpected if you take into account his young age coupled with the topics that we study.

"Why are you comparing yourself to someone 4 years younger than you? He's only 9."

"Now now, don't be like that. As long as I don't repeat a year it all fine and dandy, right?" My ears twitched when I sensed the sharp coldness emanating behind me.

"If your fail any of your modules, I'm dousing you with ice cold water." Kernel gave a toothy grin at Jake's words and mock saluted.

"Aye, aye 'Sarge!" The cold aura was retracted and I giggled at their usual banter. Even though it sounded like a threat, it was just harmless jabbing at each other. It's not like Jake hates Kernel. It's quite the opposite really. He's just blunt and crass by nature. So in a way, one could say that he only made such comments because he cared enough to bother. Either way, we knew that the odds of Kernel failing was close to zero. If he did, well…you reap what you sow. Besides, Kernel's academy ranking is actually above average based on our graded assignments. I went back to studying while Kernel chatted with Rufus. Here at the Academy, our core modules are allocated to us based on our Typings. For example, a deeper understanding in Chemistry benefits Fire Types while Physic benefits Electric Types. There were a multitude of electives we could take as well however, those were not mandatory and there aren't any limits either. It was up to us to chose which path we wanted to pursue. Even so, the teachers would pull us out if we weren't able to keep up. I myself applied for Pokemon Studies, Programming, Geography and Biology. I wouldn't dare tackle so many modules if I weren't a Psychic Type. After all, academics are our forte.

I managed about a chapter before the seats were filled up and the classroom started to erupt with colour. Humans are generally raven-haired, brunettes or blondes so with the vast number of Hybrid species present, one could easily imagine the rainbows we see everyday. Even the ranges of our eye colors were like rainbows. The combination of colors used to freak me out, especially red and yellow eyes. It felt like they could pierce through my soul. It's a relief I got used to them quickly. If not, I'm not sure if I would have been friends with Kernel and Jake. His steel grey eyes weren't that much better than red and yellow eyes. Looking at the scene before me, my lips spread into a fond smile. I may use to have a Human family but now, I have a new family. Sure I may still feel slightly homesick or a sense of longing however, my bad memories easily outweighed any good ones I have. Here, it didn't matter where we hailed from or who we were. Many of us that were brought together have a similar past. Our pain, our disdain towards Humanity and our goals for the future – nobody can share them but us. They taught us that species and types didn't matter. We aren't alone and we will stand by each other. We are kin.

This gratitude I have towards Principal Julius can't be expressed with mere words or actions. He gave me a new family, a new future and a life full of renewed hope. A new start.

I will repay him, even if it costs me my life.

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 **Hope you liked the chapter and our starting characters. There will be quite a number of Characters appearing through out the entire story, both main and side characters. As such, I will be creating a forum for everybody to keep track of everything released thus far. It'll be my first time creating one so hopefully it can contain all I want to put in. It will be updated within a couple of days of each chapter update. It's been a long time since I wrote anything and I can tell my English has worsened. It feels like my past and present tenses were all over the place. If you find any mistakes, feel free to point them out.**

 **Don't forget to fave, follow or review! Till next time!**


	3. Training sessions

**Hey guys, guess who's back from the dead. I'm back! Sorry for the later than intended update. I was very sidetracked by Light Novels, game events and well, you know...usual procrastination. :P That and I really need to be more decisive and confident in my writing. I spend to much time think and review my draft :T . This chapter focuses on the LAGS' curriculum and our main cast. Hopefully I** **didn't leave out anything.**

 ***The spacing seem to be bugging out. It happens randomly whenever I save my drafts so I can't get rid of it completely so don't mind those.**

 **Thanks for the fav/follow if there were any! I don't remember anymore lol... OTL**

 **Edit 1: Corrected a mistake I found. If you didn't notice it, then good for you. If you did, please keep it to yourself for the time being.**

 **Enjoy!**

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 **Chapter 2 – Tutoring sessions**

From what was told, LAGs' curriculum was faster than those schools Human attend. Because of our circumstances, we have to be readily prepared for any path we would take in the future. Our main modules were selected by the Academy based on our Typings. Certain areas were easier for certain Types. For example, Psychic Types excelled in academics while Fighting, Dragon and Darks Types generally excel in Combat. It's in our Typing's genetics. On top of that, we could take on additional electives of our choice. It was torturous but this was the only way we could survive. Thus with our bleak future as our goal, we grinned and bore with it. As they say, no pain no gain.

That being said, we were strongly encouraged to aid each other if needed. That was why we were gathered in Rufus' room in the Electric Dormitory. His room had the dorm's standard cream walls and basic furnishing. Except, his side of the room was messier with various items scattered about. Jake and I were on his bed while the Pachirisu and Flygon Hybrid were slumped over their homework on the table. Two piles of books and assignments were stacked beside them. One was messily stacked while the other was neater. We had already finished ours half an hour ago so we were relaxing. Jake was flipping through his Geography textbook while I was doing the same with my Chemistry textbook. Taking my brown eyes off the book for a short rest, I looked over to the two at the table. Rufus was staring hard at the assignment with slightly furrowed eyebrows while Kernel on the other hand, was taking his sweet time completing his assignments like usual. Occasionally, he would twirl his pen around his thumb with a casual flick. His bored expression never left his face since the start. Such a sight was nothing new but it nothing to be concern over. He always manages to complete his assignments on time so we never had to bother.

Over by the window, was where my Fletchinder was perched with his black wings tucked in. The gentle outdoor breeze caressed his bright orange and light grey plumage as he basked in the warmth of the sunlight. Like mine, their partner Pokemon were relaxing in the room as well. Every student at the Academy has one Pokemon till graduation. Having too many Pokemon was like biting off more than we could chew since our attention and time would be split between each of them. This practice was implemented to allow us to focus and refine our combat prowess and knowledge to the max. Having multiple Pokemon in battle was an advantage. However, it would cause us to be complacent since we would always have a leeway. Thus, we were being trained to have a solid foundation with one Pokemon to push us further. There would certainly be disadvantages we can't avoid but as long as we surpass them, utilizing any Pokemon for any tactic in the future would be manifold easier. This was the goal for such a limitation. Kernel's Noibat was taking a nap on his shoulder with his wings curled around his neck and the Chinchou and Vaporeon by the base of the bed were Rufus' and Jake's partner respectively. Every student shared at least one Type with his or her partner Pokemon. Thus, it was usual easy to tell who these Pokemon were partners with. A soft thud drew my attention to Rufus. He let out a tired sigh as he collapsed on his assignments.

"It's too hard…" Kernel ruffled Rufus' fluffy, white hair.

"Come on little guy, don't give up. You're almost done." Despite Kernel's encouragement, Rufus stared at his homework in irritation and with a frown. Looking at him, complicated feelings stirred in my heart. Honestly, no one could blame him for acting that way. Our ages weren't that far apart but he's only nine. From what little I could remember from my brief childhood, children his age were usually spending their after school time having fun outside. Not being cooped up with assignments and forced to study topics that were years ahead. …That said, I suppose the norm can't be applied to us anymore. After all, we can't be considered ordinary by any standards. Rufus wasn't a genius. He didn't have the genetics for academics or inclination towards studying. It's a miracle he could cope, albeit barely. I gave a light tug at the edge of his assignment and he shifted aside. Giving it a once over, I nodded internally. The amount of common mistakes he made were lesser than before but he was still careless in certain areas. For the more challenging areas, he'll have to gain some experience with more practice. I explained a few areas that I pointed out before handing it back to him. Looking at the time, a few hours had passed since class ended and it was evening. I sneaked a peek at Rufus. His brows were furrowed as he tried hard to focus on his assignment. I could picture illusionary steam rising from his head. While we couldn't do too much for him in regards to his studies, we tried compromising elsewhere. Rufus didn't know this but between Jake, Kernel and I, we had agreed to spoil him from time to time. Not too much that it would affect his growth but enough for him to enjoy being a child. However minor or fleeting that moment may be, it was the least we could do for him. If we leave soon, it shouldn't be too late to have a small treat before dinner. Well, I suppose now's a good a time as any for a break.

"How about we get some ice cream after you solve this?" Rufus' head shot up. His brown eyes sparkled but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared. Seeing his expression turn restrained and hesitant, an uncomfortable itch scratched at my heart.

"Are you sure?" I assured him with a smile and nodded.

"We've covered enough for today. What do you guys think?" Jake and Kernel easily agreed to the proposition.

"It's a deal!" Rufus immediately brightened up and tackled with homework with renewed vigor. The perturbing feeling still remained in my heart but I managed to crack a small smile at the sight. Looking over at Jake, he was still absorbed in his textbook. However, he noticed my gaze if his single raised eyebrow indicated anything.

"Are you having any difficulties with any subject?" Like usual, he didn't lift his steely, light grey eyes from his textbook as he replied.

"Linguistics, but we don't have to worry about that for awhile." I nodded in understanding. Linguistics huh… That's true, we don't have any test coming up soon and our homework has been manageable. Still… I tilted my head with a sigh.

"I'm not looking forward to Linguistics class tomorrow." He shot my a dry glance.

"Can a Psychic Type really say that?" I pursed my lips with a huff. Oh come on, Psychic Types aren't all _that_ amazing.

"Our genetics may give me commendable memory retention but it isn't perfect. If it weren't for my genetics, I'd be struggling as well. It's easily to get fatigued on those days." Our Linguistic classes were special. While English is the universal tongue, we learn Pokemon as well. Although I say learn, with all the different cries form every Pokemon, there isn't really a so called 'true' language to learn. According to researches, their language was something imprinted into Pokemon and Hybrids when they were born. Thus, those lessons were geared more to refining our instinctual translator and reading their body language. The success rate and progress varied between individuals but it worked, so all was fine. Other than that, there were foreign tongues and dialects that were optional to pick up. The bed shifted as Kernel plopped down on the other side of Jake and gave us a cheery, toothy grin.

"Hey enough of the depressing topic. Linguistics aside, at least there's Combat class tomorrow." We nodded in unison. Combat class was where everybody vented out. It made our spars harder but we got stronger in return so it works out. Besides, the physical exhaustion is very refreshing after all the mental strain we have to go through. Even for my fellow Psychics. I bent forward to look over at Kernel.

"Are you finally done with your homework?" He gave a carefree laugh.

"Nope!" My eyebrow twitched. This guy... His red eyes darted between the two of us and with a loose grin, he shrugged us off. "Come on, it's called a break. We need it every once in a while so it's fine." A break, right. Sigh... He does this every time. I can't fathom how he could be this relaxed all the time. He clearly knows what's at stake for all of us yet, he's like this. It's not like his academics have any outstanding result to show either. Well whatever, I decided to let it drop. Pondering further was only going to give me a headache so I stared out of the window instead. Jake on the other hand, threw a snappy comment.

"Once in a while? You take too many too often." Kernel threw an exasperated half grin towards Jake.

"Minor details." I paid no further attention to them and allowed my mind to wander to take a short moment of respite. Jake's and Kernel's usual back and forth banter became a comforting background noise as I absentmindedly stared at my Fletchinder's plumage being gently ruffled by the cool outdoor breeze. A wave of tranquility washed over me. I wouldn't have minded taking a short nap if it weren't for Rufus' cheery voice snapping me out of it.

"I did it!" He held out his completed assignment to me with expectant eyes. I resisted the urge to pinch his cheek. He really is too cute. Checking his homework, I nodded. His answers weren't fully detailed and there were some minor errors here and there but they were good enough. Definitely a passing grade at least. I passed it back to him with a smile.

"Well done." His body loosened in relief as he slumped in his chair. I gave his fluffy white hair a brief ruffle and stood up. With a stretch, I turned to my friends with a smile. "Let's get going before it gets too late, shall we?"

* * *

By the time we stepped out of the Electric Dorm, it was already late in the evening. Outside the Dorm was a vast, open plain. The plains were located at the center of Kastyr, just a little towards the south where the coast was. It housed the Normal Dorm as well. They were situated closer to the center of Kastyr where the Academy was. By our side were our partner Pokemon. We don't like the idea of keeping our Pokemon cooped up in their Pokeball so we usually have them out and about. Jake's Vaporeon walked beside his Trainer and Kernel's Noibat was flying freely above us. Meanwhile, Rufus' Chinchou was riding on his head and my partner Pokemon was perched on my shoulder. I scratched my partner Pokemon under his chin. He leaned into my touch and purred contently. I've had my partner ever since he was a tiny Fletchling. That was roughly 4 years ago if I'm not mistaken. Time sure flew by. About 10 minutes into our journey, the sudden lack of a set of footsteps quickly caught our attention. Turning around, Kernel had stopped a short distance from us as he looked into the distance to our right. We followed Kernel's line of sight to whatever caught his attention. There in the distance, a translucent lilac box seemed to be erected. This was something we were all too familiar with it. That is a barrier, meaning a duel was being held. Kernel, Jake and I glanced at each other and then to Rufus. Rufus noticed our inquiring gaze and his eyes constantly darted between each of us. He fidgeted on the spot and was clearly reluctant. I placed my hands together in front of me and bent down to match his height.

"Can we take a quick look? Please? I promise it won't take long." Rufus eyes shifted. He pursed his lips but I could clearly see that he was wavering to my coaxing. Sorry Rufus, let us be selfish for a bit. After a short moment of contemplation, his reluctance eventually turned into resignation and his pointy ears drooped. He pouted with his cheeks puffed out.

"..Fine." I let out a giggle and gently pinched his soft cheek as I thanked him. Kernel laughed and threw a teasing grin at the Pachirisu Hybrid.

"You can't ever say no to 'Rena, can you?" Rufus' pout intensified and he turned to the side with a indigent huff. His ears and tail were twitching about as a light blush dusted his cheeks.

"T-That's not true! B-Besides, Jake and you wanted to see it too." Kernel teasing grin grew wider. He wanted to tease him further when Jake stepped in. He walked past and softly patted Rufus' shoulder. A small, almost missable smile adorned his lips.

"That's enough teasing, we should get moving before its over." Without further delay, we sprinted towards the scene. Out of us four Hybrids, I was in the lead closely followed by Rufus and Kernel. Jake was slower than us by quite a lot so he brought up the rear. The three of us paced ourselves to Jake's speed so the distance between us wasn't big. The barrier we saw earlier were boundaries that were created whenever a duel would occur outside of the Academy's battlefields. This was to prevent duelers from accidentally destroying their surroundings and hurting innocent bystanders. Any Psychic Type could set up the barrier if they were strong enough. However, their barriers had to constantly withstand their attacks and be maintained for however long the fight lasted. Thus, it was usually done by a Teacher or an Upperclassmen.

When we drew closer to the crowd, the sounds of clashes grew louder. The crowd stood my a curtain and blocked my vision especially with my shorter height. I inwardly cursed. Damn it, why does everybody have to be so tall. I levitated myself to get a clearer view. Within the lilac barrier, the field was filled with scars. Thin scorch marks scarred the ground along with a few elongated slash marks. The frequent burst of electricity and onslaught of dark attacks showed this duel was most likely between an Electric Type and a Dark Type. However, that was all I could tell. They were moving too fast to follow clearly. Their blurry figures would only be visible for a brief moment when they had to dodge or when their attack connected. It hasn't been long since I entered the Academy so my combat experience was lacking. Thus, my eyes couldn't keep up with the fight.A stray Night Slash crashed against the barrier and the impact sent out a small shockwave. The dissipating negative energy made me uncomfortable and my hair stood up. Even if I couldn't see the battle clearly, I could sense the energy fluctuations and their intensity. My Psychic senses painted me a slightly clearer mental image of the fight but it was still a mess. I've witnessed multiple battles within my cohort but the disparity between what I've seen and the two currently in front of me is an eye opener. It was common sense that the Upperclassmen were way stronger than us but actually witnessing the disparity felt different. Just the thought of being able to pull of a fight of this caliber in the future sent a wave of excitement throughout my body. I hovered a while longer before joining my friends who managed to move themselves in front. I descended with ease and my feet landed softly on the ground. Jake's navy blue hair shifted to the side as he tilted his head and looked towards me from the corner of his eyes.

"Catch anything?"

"Hardly." What we saw were most likely not any different so I shook my head. Glancing around the audience, there were those who had similar looks of confusion written on their faces. They were most likely freshmen like us. However, the eyes of majority of the audience were darting back and forth with an focused expression. Upperclassmen no doubt. It's a pity. However, if we couldn't keep up with the fight, there wasn't any point to sticking around. With a small, internal sigh, I was about to suggest leaving when I was stunned with what I saw. Unlike Jake's and Rufus' who had the same look of loss, Kernel was different. He seemed absorbed into the fight and his red eyes were darting around just like the Upperclassmen. I'm not seeing things, am I?

"You...can follow the fight?" Kernel sent me an amused wink.

"I have to be good at something, right?" That...would certainly make sense considering how his studies fared. Kernel's strong point had always been in Combat with his Dragon Typing helping him. Of course it was nice to know that he excelled somewhere. Still being in the same class, I can't say that I particularly like this vast difference in combat ability. We continued observing what we could from the fight when a small tug on my sleeve caught my attention. Rufus was looking up at me with his brown, round eyes.

"Can we go?" My lips tugged into a small smile. I admit, we were taking a little longer than I had intended. The poor guy must have been bored. Jake was already by Rufus' side so that leaves Kernel. I took one last glance at the high speed fight and then at Kernel. Said person's lip quirked a small smile. His gazed lingered on the fight a brief moment longer before he turned to Rufus with a wide smile.

"Lead the way kiddo."

* * *

 **Hope you** **enjoyed the chapter. Follow, favorite or simply leave a review! ConCrit is greatly appreciated and do feel free to point out any parts that weren't explained clearly. I'm trying to build a slow but solid foundation as a start. I've tried fixing it but I still feel that some sentences didn't flow very** **fluidly. Oh well...**

 **Also, a quick question, would you prefer if I gave nicknames to their Pokemon? It will be easy to tell what actions were done by who but, there will be a lot of Pokemon between all the key characters I have planned out so it may get messy. I'm not kidding when I say A LOT. Do let me know what you think!**

 **Till next time!**


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